cDNA fragment coding the alpha interferon receptor gene and process for the preparation of a corresponding protein

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to the human alpha interferon receptor and to the DNA sequence, including the cDNA sequence, encoding the receptor. The invention also relates to non-human cells which express said receptor, to a process for obtaining said cells, and to a process for the preparation of the receptor.

This is a Divisional of application Ser. No. 08/453,090, filed May 30, 1995; which is a Continuation of Ser. No. 07/900,642, filed Jun. 15, 1992, now abandoned; which is a continuation of international application PCT/FR90/00758, filed Oct. 19, 1990.

The present invention relates to the sequence, in particular to a cDNA sequence, coding for the gene for the alpha interferon receptor.

Interferon is a generic term specifying three antigenic classes: alpha, beta and gamma, of proteins capable of inducing, among other things, an antiviral state and of inhibiting the multiplication of sensitive cells.

Between the alpha and beta interferons, which are produced as a consequence of vital infection, there exists a sufficiently extensive structural homology for these two types of interferon to be able to react via the same cell receptor.

Human alpha interferon is itself a mixture of a dozen proteins with very extensive homology, encoded by different structural genes. These subtypes have an identical functional spectrum but their specific activities are different.

Gamma interferon, which is produced by activated lymphocytes, does not possess any homology with the alpha/beta interferons and it does not react with their receptor.

At present, the structures of the interferons (which possess about 165 amino acids) are quite well known as regards their amino acid sequences and several studies have been directed towards the analysis of the functional domains of these proteins. Hybrid molecules, constructed between the interferons of high and low affinity by using restriction sites on the DNA coding for these interferons, have been used to show that the N-terminal part of the molecule determines the affinity of binding to its cell receptor and, consequently, the specific activity of the alpha interferons.

Respiratory diseases of vital origin pose considerable economic problems for public health. Clinical trials have shown that alpha interferon provides 100% protection to volunteers infected with different rhinoviruses. Similarly, it has been demonstrated that among volunteers treated with alpha interferon and infected with a coronavirus, 6% develop the symptoms of a cold compared with 37% of the volunteers treated with placebo.

Nonetheless, although human alpha interferon was found to be efficacious in these trials, the toxicity that it exerts on the nasal mucosa poses a major problem.

Interferon also possesses an antitumoral activity in man and at present it has become the treatment of choice for some cancers. However, interferon injected by the systemic route also exerts toxicity on the nervous system which limits the possibilities of treatment.

In fact, at present, there is no means of determining which interferon should be used to obtain therapeutic activity and reduced toxicity. Several laboratories have made considerable efforts to construct modified interferons which might have pronounced activity associated with low toxicity. This approach has been shown to be disappointing.

It is now obvious that the possible success of such a project requires knowledge of the structure of the receptor of the interferons in order to devise the structure of an agonist. An agonist having a high activity and low toxicity for the nasal mucosa would find a very large market for the treatment of respiratory diseases of vital origin.

That is why the present invention relates more particularly to the production of a protein having the structure of the alpha interferon receptor and its expression, in particular at the surface of cells as well as the DNA sequences coding for the said protein.

Hence, the present invention relates, in the first instance, to the human alpha interferon receptor characterized in that it corresponds to the sequence shown in FIG. 4 or to one of its allelic variants which does not differ from it by more than 3 amino acids.

These allelic variants may include the sequence shown in FIG. 4 in which the threonine at position 164 is replaced by an arginine and an aspartic acid is inserted between the aspartic acid at position 479 and the glutamic acid at position 480.

The present invention also relates to a DNA sequence coding for the receptor for human alpha interferon.

This DNA sequence will preferably correspond to the sequence shown in FIG. 4 or to a sequence allelic with the latter.

The structure of the DNA sequence coding for the receptor for human alpha interferon is analysed in the examples. In particular, it bears a signal peptide. In some cases, it will be possible to delete or replace this signal peptide by another signal peptide but in most cases it will be preferable to retain this signal peptide shown in FIG. 4 and hence the corresponding coding sequence.

This sequence is preferably inserted into a system which ensures its cellular expression in a suitable host cell, in particular at a transmembrane site.

In particular, the present invention relates to the DNA fragment, in particular the cDNA fragment, characterized in that it codes for the gene of the alpha interferon receptor. In particular, it will correspond to the sequence shown in FIG. 4 or to a sequence allelic with the latter.

It may thus be the DNA sequence shown in FIG. 4 in which the cytosine at position 569 is replaced by guanine and a TGA codon inserted between the adenine situated at position 1514 and the thymine at position 1515.

The present invention also relates to non-human cells characterized in that they express the said receptor for human alpha interferon and to a process for the production of the said cells.

According to this process, compatible host cells are transfected or infected with an element of DNA bearing a DNA sequence coding for the said receptor, as well as the elements capable of ensuring the expression of this sequence in the said cell.

The examples given hereafter demonstrate how it has been possible to express this sequence coding for the receptor for human alpha interferon (IFN-alpha h) in non-human mammalian cells, in particular mouse cells. The procedures which make possible the cell expression of exogenous DNA sequences are known. Depending on the host cells, it may be a question of using self-replicating vectors such as plasmids or integrating vectors, DNA sequences or viral vectors for example. In the case in which it is desired to produce a cell line expressing the human IFN-alpha receptor, the procedure used may be a low yield procedure since only one line is sought. On the other hand, when the production of the protein alone is desired, it is preferable to use vectors ensuring amplification, in particular plasmid vectors comprising an origin of replication or multicopy system of integration.

In addition, the present invention relates to a process for the preparation of human alpha IFN receptors.

Thus, when it is desired to produce the protein cells transformed, transfected or infected by an expression vector for the said proteins comprising a DNA sequence coding for the said receptor under the control of a promoter of transcription of this sequence in the host as well as the elements ensuring the translation of the protein, will be cultivated in a suitable culture medium and then the protein obtained will be separated by any appropriate means.

This protein will be used to prepare antibodies, in particular monoclonal antibodies directed against the receptor; the appropriate technology will not be described in detail since it is a known procedure.

The invention thus makes it possible to produce:

the receptor for human alpha interferon,

antibodies directed against this receptor, and

cells expressing the said receptor.

The applications of these elements are very varied. First, the receptor in isolation or expressed on the surface of a cell may enable analogues of human alpha interferon to be tested in order to define the best agonists.

This type of test may also be performed by means of the corresponding protein attached to a solid support such as plates, beads, etc. These procedures have already been used for other receptors or for antigen-antibody assays.

The receptor agonist assays may be performed by measuring direct binding or by measuring displacements which make it possible to estimate the affinity of the agonist in relation to a reference substance, for example the human alpha IFN.

The antibodies will be used for the assay of the receptors or for their visualization in the case of imaging. These are procedures which make it possible to evaluate certain pathological conditions justifying, for example, treatment with alpha interferon or which make it possible to evaluate certain conditions in which the level of these receptors varies.

Hence, the invention also relates to diagnostic kits containing one or more of the preceding elements as a diagnostic or imaging agent, or as a pharmacological model to test the compounds derived from human alpha interferon.

The receptor protein or the corresponding antibodies may also be used as a pharmacological agent when it is desired to block the human alpha IFN receptors or when the protein is used as an inhibitor to block human alpha IFN in certain states in which the over-expression of human alpha interferon may be harmful.

Finally, the antibodies may be used as targetting agent for the insertion of an active principle coupled to this antibody in the vicinity of a receptor for the human alpha IFN.

The examples and figures given hereafter are non-limiting and will make it possible to demonstrate other advantages and characteristics of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the binding curves of human alpha interferon B (black symbols) or the hybrid BDBB (white symbols) to the primary transfectant 10BH7 (A) or to the parental cells BTG 9A (B).

FIGS. 2A and 2B represent the "Southern blot" analysis of the genomic DNA of the primary and secondary transfectants. FIG. 2A:

Well No. 1: EcoRI digestion of the DNA of the primary clone 10BH7 hybridized with a Alu probe.

Well No. 2: same DNA hybridized with a Lambda probe. FIG. 2B:

Wells No. 1 and 3: BamHI digestion of the DNA of the two secondary transfectants 1B4D10 and 2A415 hybridized with a Alu probe.

Well No. 2 and 4: BamHI digestion of the DNA of two negative secondary transfectants hybridized with a Alu probe.

Well No. 5: BamHI digestion of the DNA of the parental cells BTG 9A hybridized with a Alu probe.

FIG. 3 shows the "Northern blot" analysis of the RNA polyA⁺ of the two secondary transfectants (wells No. 1 and 3) and of the parental cells (well No. 2) hybridized with the probe EcoRI 5 kb.

FIG. 4(a-f) shows the nucleotide sequence of the cDNA of the receptor for human alpha interferon (SEQ ID NO:1) as well as its amino acid sequence (SEQ ID NO:2). The signal peptide and the transmembrane region are shown in boxes. The glycosylation sites linked to nitrogen are underlined by dashes. The two polyadenylation sites and the Sma I restriction site are underlined.

EXAMPLE 1

Selection of transfected BTG mouse cells sensitive to human alpha B interferon.

Mouse BTG 9A cells are co-transfected with a human cDNA bank cloned in a mammalian lambda phage expression vector also containing the bacterial gene neo and the genomic DNA Daudi of high molecular weight in a ratio 1:1. This system of co-transfection in which the expression of a human interferon receptor may result from the genomic human DNA and/or the human cDNA is used to increase the chances of isolating useful transfectants.

Clones of stable transfectants are selected in a G418 medium at a frequency of 10⁻² -10⁻³. In order to detect cell clones sensitive to human alpha interferon, transfected clones are treated with 30 000 units/ml of human B interferon and infected with VSV. At this concentration, mouse BTG cells are insensitive to alpha B interferon but a transfectant clone expressing the receptor gene for human alpha interferon ought to be in an antiviral phase.

In view of the fact that the interferon titer is inversely proportional to the multiplicity of infection, this viral selection makes it possible to neutralize the large quantity of VSV produced by the majority of the clones of the unsuitable cells which would abolish the antiviral state of the clone of the cell of interest. This method implies a rapid absorption of the virus by the cells followed by a treatment with rabbit anti-VSV antiserum to neutralize the excess of the virus, and development of the cytopathic effect in a rabbit anti-VSV antiserum containing a semi-solid gelose medium. Surviving cellular clones are isolated individually. In order to avoid a chronic VSV infection, the cell clones are subjected to a treatment with mouse alpha/beta interferon and the anti-VSV antiserum is maintained in a G-418 medium for one week. They are then retested for their sensitivity to human alpha B interferon in relation to the VSV or EMC infections. Most of these transferred clones are insensitive to human alpha B interferon. Nonetheless, one clone showed an interesting sensitivity to human alpha B interferon. It was then subcloned and designated 10B H7.

The sensitivity of the 10B H7 cells to numerous mouse and human alpha interferons was determined, then the behaviour of these cells was compared with that of the parental mouse BTG cells.

Table I shows the activity of mouse alpha/beta interferon, human alpha B interferon, human beta interferon and human gamma interferon tested on mouse parental BTG cells of the transfected 10B H7 clone and of human Wish cells using both the VSV and the EMC viruses.

With respect to mouse interferon, the 10B H7 cells are as sensitive as the parental BTG cells. Moreover, the 10B H7 cells show a sensitivity at least 64 000 times greater to human alpha B interferon than the parental cells. The activity of human beta interferon on the 10B H7 cells is also observed to be increased 8-fold but no antiviral activity of human gamma interferon is detected since it is recognized by a different receptor on both the parental BTG cells and on the transfected 10B H7 clone. The specific antiviral activity of alpha B interferon (4.7×10⁶ units/mg) on the 10B H7 cells is of the order of the specific activities of the human alpha interferons on human cells.

                  TABLE I                                                          ______________________________________                                                Antiviral activities of                                                        interferon preparations tested on:                                             (units/ml)              RATIO                                                  BTG     10BH7     WISH      10BH7/BTG                                   ______________________________________                                         Mouse alpha/                                                                            12.8 × 10.sup.6                                                                    12.8 × 10.sup.6                                                                    240     1                                         beta IFN                                                                       Human alpha B                                                                           <20       1.27 × 10.sup.6                                                                    54 × 10.sup.6                                                                    >64,000                                   IFN                                                                            Human beta                                                                              200       1.6 × 10.sup.3                                                                     2.7 × 10.sup.6                                                                   8                                         IFN                                                                            Human gamma                                                                             <1 × 10.sup.3                                                                      <1 × 10.sup.3                                                                      20 × 10.sup.6                                                                    --                                        IFN                                                                            ______________________________________                                    

EXAMPLE 2

Transfectants of a mouse BTG cell sensitive to interferon which express, the receptor for human interferon.

Human alpha B interferon behaves towards 10B H7 cells like alpha D interferon on human cells, with similar specific activity and similar apparent binding affinity. Like alpha D interferon on human cells, the binding of human alpha B interferon to 10B H7 cells may be measured only at 37° C.

Several binding experiments were performed with iodinated alpha B interferon used as probe for the human receptor and a iodinated hybrid interferon designated BDBB which is active on both the parental mouse lines and on the clone 10B H7, as positive control. This hybrid interferon which has a specific activity on mouse cells close to that of human alpha B interferon on the 10B H7 cells, could be a probe for the mouse and human receptors on both the parental BTG cells and the transfected 10B H7 cells.

FIG. 1 shows that the binding of BDBB is similar to the BTG and 10B H7 cells. Conversely, the 10B H7 cells bind alpha B interferon specifically whereas the BTG cells do not. The binding parameters calculated from the Scatchard data show that the 10B H7 cells express about 500 binding sites per cell for alpha B interferon with an apparent Kd of 2.10⁻¹⁰ M. This is similar to the values for the BDBB interferon (1,500 binding sites per cell; apparent ED 5.10⁻¹⁰ M), which is active on both the parental mouse lines and on the clone 10B H7.

In conclusion these results, supplemented with other studies, indicate that human alpha B interferon binds to a specific receptor on the 10B H7 cells but not to the parental mouse cells.

EXAMPLE 3

Cloning of a probe covering the gene for the human alpha interferon receptor in clones of a secondary transfected cell.

Starting from the hypothesis that the 10B H7 cells express a transfected human gene necessary for conferring binding sites and an antiviral activity of alpha B interferon on a mouse cell, the distribution of the human DNA in the transfected 10B H7 genome was investigated.

FIG. 2A is a "Southern blot" with the DNA of the 10B H7 clone using either a human Alu sequence which detects human genomic DNA or a probe with lambda DNA in order to detect the integrated cDNA.

Thus it was shown that the transfectants had integrated more than one part par 1000 of human Daudi DNA and 100 copies of the human cDNA of the mammalian library. In view of the considerable amount of human DNA in this clone, it was necessary to isolate secondary transfectants in order to clone the DNA sequence responsible for the expression of the receptor in the initial 10B H7 clone. For this purpose, mouse BTG cells were co-transfected with genomic DNA from the 10B H7 clone and from neopSV2. Cells sensitive to human interferon were isolated. The stable secondary transfectants were subjected to 4 cycles of treatment with alpha B interferon and to VSV infection. After subcloning, two independent secondary clones 1B4D10 and 2A415 were obtained. These two secondary clones are independent but are derived from the same initial clone. They have the same characteristics as those of the initial clone 10B H7, i.e. sensitivity to human alpha interferon and expression of the receptor at their surface. These two secondary clones have not retained the sequences associated with the lambda phages in their genome and, consequently, the expression of the receptors for human alpha interferon is due to the genomic DNA of the Daudi cells which had been transfected initially into the BTG cells. They have, in fact, conserved the human genomic sequences. FIG. 2B shows a BamHI digestion of the secondary DNA clones hybridized with a Alu probe which detects the repetitive Alu sequences. The two positive secondary clones 1B4D10 and 2A415 have in common a main band of 18 kb.

A Alu probe was used to screen fragments of size 20-15 kb of a genomic library after complete digestion of the DNA of the secondary clone 1B4D10 by BamHI cloned in a lambda phage EMBL 3. The repeated Alu sequences containing the BamHI fragment of 18 kb were isolated and then subcloned in a plasmid vector pUC.

This fragment contains two EcoRI sites giving end fragments of 11 kb and 2 kb and a central fragment of 5 kb. There are human Alu repetitive sequences in these three fragments and thus the central 5 kb fragment must be deleted from the DNA sequences of the mouse, The central 5 kb EcoRI fragment is present in a EcoRI digestion of the DNA of the two secondary clones 1B4D10 and 2A415, obtained independently from the same initial clone.

EXAMPLE 4

Cloning and nucleotide sequence of the cDNA of the receptor for human alpha interferon.

FIG. 3 shows that the 5 kb EcoRI probe detects a transcript of equal size in the secondary clones which is absent from the RNA poly A⁺ of the parental BTG cells.

A cDNA library prepared in a lambda ZapII phage vector from the RNA of the secondary clone 1B4D10 is screened and the cDNA hybridizing with the 5 kb EcoRI probe is isolated. Eight independent cDNA clones, all bearing the same 3' end, are analysed by sequencing. The longest (1900 bp) have at their 5' end a HindIII restriction fragment of 400 bp covering only the coding sequences and lack the repetitive elements. Used as a probe, this fragment detects the 2.5 kb transcript present in both the secondary clones and in the Daudi human cells but which is absent from the mouse BTG. In view of the fact that point mutations may arise in transfected genes, this HindIII probe of 400 bp has been used to study a lambda ZapII cDNA library starting from Daudi human cells in order to isolate complete cDNA clones corresponding to the human transcript.

Overlapping cDNAs isolated from human Daudi cDNA libraries were preserved in "pBluescript" plasmids starting from the in vivo excision of ZapII lambda by f1 helper phages. The single-stranded DNA recovered in the presence of the M13 intermediate phage from bacteria containing "pBluescript" plasmids is sequenced at one end of the cDNA by the chain termination method (Sanger et al. 1977) and the sequences of the other end of the cDNA are obtained from the sequence of the double strand in the plasmid. Oligonucleotides were synthesized and used in particular for sequencing the DNA when "gaps" appeared in the sequence.

The two strands of the longest cDNAs described in FIG. 4 were completely sequenced.

The sequence of cDNA is of the order of 2784 bp and contains an untranslated region of 1035 bp at the 3' end which includes two polyadenylation sequences ATTAAA. The sequence of the open reading frame is complete since it is terminated at the 5' end by a STOP codon. Two ATG codons are found side by side at positions 79 and 82.

In addition to the hydrophobic region of the amino terminus, a second hydrophobic region (amino acids 456 to 476) was identified. There are 15 potential glycosylation sites linked to nitrogen, 12 in the putative extracellular domain and 3 in the putative intracellular domain.

The molecular weight of the sequence suggested as receptor (including the signal peptide) is 63,485 Dalton, and glycosylation may give rise to a value of the order of 95,000-100,000 Dalton for the protein of the naturally occurring receptor.

The receptor for human alpha interferon appears to be a single protein. Its sequence nonetheless exhibits a certain allelic variation. Such variation is found, for example, in the Daudi heterozygote cells which express two alleles of the receptor, the one corresponding to the sequence described in FIG. 4, the other exhibiting a substitution of a cytosine by a guanine at position 569 and the insertion of three bases T, G and A after the adenine situated at position 1514. At the level of the protein, this results in a substitution of the threonine 164 by an arginine, and by the insertion of an aspartic acid after the aspartic acid 479.

    __________________________________________________________________________     SEQUENCE LISTING                                                               (1) GENERAL INFORMATION:                                                       (iii) NUMBER OF SEQUENCES: 2                                                   (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:1:                                               (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 2784 base pairs                                                    (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: DNA (genomic)                                              (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:1:                                        TTAGGACGGGGCGATGGCGGCTGAGAGGAGCTGCGCGTGCGCGAACATGTAACTGGTGGG60                 ATCTGCGGCGGCTCCCAGATGATGGTCGTCCTCCTGGGCGCGACGACCCTAGTGCTCGTC120                GCCGTGGGCCCATGGGTGTTGTCCGCAGCCGCAGGTGGAAAAAATCTAAAATCTCCTCAA180                AAAGTAGAGGTCGACATCATAGATGACAACTTTATCCTGAGGTGGAACAGGAGCGATGAG240                TCTGTCGGGAATGTGACTTTTTCATTCGATTATCAAAAAACTGGGATGGATAATTGGATA300                AAATTGTCTGGGTGTCAGAATATTACTAGTACCAAATGCAACTTTTCTTCACTCAAGCTG360                AATGTTTATGAAGAAATTAAATTGCGTATAAGAGCAGAAAAAGAAAACACTTCTTCATGG420                TATGAGGTTGACTCATTTACACCATTTCGCAAAGCTCAGATTGGTCCTCCAGAAGTACAT480                TTAGAAGCTGAAGATAAGGCAATAGTGATACACATCTCTCCTGGAACAAAAGATAGTGTT540                ATGTGGGCTTTGGATGGTTTAAGCTTTACATATAGCTTACTTATCTGGAAAAACTCTTCA600                GGTGTAGAAGAAAGGATTGAAAATATTTATTCCAGACATAAAATTTATAAACTCTCACCA660                GAGACTACTTATTGTCTAAAAGTTAAAGCAGCACTACTTACGTCATGGAAAATTGGTGTC720                TATAGTCCAGTACATTGTATAAAGACCACAGTTGAAAATGAACTACCTCCACCAGAAAAT780                ATAGAAGTCAGTGTCCAAAATCAGAACTATGTTCTTAAATGGGATTATACATATGCAAAC840                ATGACCTTTCAAGTTCAGTGGCTCCACGCCTTTTTAAAAAGGAATCCTGGAAACCATTTG900                TATAAATGGAAACAAATACCTGACTGTGAAAATGTCAAAACTACCCAGTGTGTCTTTCCT960                CAAAACGTTTTCCAAAAAGGAATTTACCTTCTCCGCGTACAAGCATCTGATGGAAATAAC1020               ACATCTTTTTGGTCTGAAGAGATAAAGTTTGATACTGAAATACAAGCTTTCCTACTTCCT1080               CCAGTCTTTAACATTAGATCCCTTAGTGATTCATTCCATATCTATATCGGTGCTCCAAAA1140               CAGTCTGGAAACACGCCTGTGATCCAGGATTATCCACTGATTTATGAAATTATTTTTTGG1200               GAAAACACTTCAAATGCTGAGAGAAAAATTATCGAGAAAAAAACTGATGTTACAGTTCCT1260               AATTTGAAACCACTGACTGTATATTGTGTGAAAGCCAGAGCACACACCATGGATGAAAAG1320               CTGAATAAAAGCAGTGTTTTTAGTGACGCTGTATGTGAGAAAACAAAACCAGGAAATACC1380               TCTAAAATTTGGCTTATAGTTGGAATTTGTATTGCATTATTTGCTCTCCCGTTTGTCATT1440               TATGCTGCGAAAGTCTTCTTGAGATGCATCAATTATGTCTTCTTTCCATCACTTAAACCT1500               TCTTCCAGTATAGATGAGTATTTCTCTGAACAGCCATTGAAGAATCTTCTGCTTTCAACT1560               TCTGAGGAACAAATCGAAAAATGTTTCATAATTGAAAATATAAGCACAATTGCTACAGTA1620               GAAGAAACTAATCAAACTGATGAAGATCATAAAAAATACAGTTCCCAAACTAGCCAAGAT1680               TCAGGAAATTATTCTAATGAAGATGAAAGCGAAAGTAAAACAAGTGAAGAACTACAGCAG1740               GACTTTGTATGACCAGAAATGAACTGTGTCAAGTATAAGGTTTTTCAGCAGGAGTTACAC1800               TGGGAGCCTGAGGTCCTCACCTTCCTCTCAGTAACTACAGAGAGGACGTTTCCTGTTTAG1860               GGAAAGAAAAAACATCTTCAGATCATAGGTCCTAAAAATACGGGCAAGCTCTTAACTATT1920               TAAAAATGAAATTACAGGCCCGGGCACGGTGGCTCACACCTGTAATCCCAGCACTTTGGG1980               AGGCTGAGGCAGGCAGATCATGAGGTCAAGAGATCGAGACCAGCCTGGCCAACGTGGTGA2040               AACCCCATCTCTACTAAAAATACAAAAATTAGCCGGGTAGTAGGTAGGCGCGCGCCTGTT2100               GTCTTAGCTACTCAGGAGGCTGAGGCAGGAGAATCGCTTGAAAACAGGAGGTGGAGGTTG2160               CAGTGAGCCGAGATCACGCCACTGCACTCCAGCCTGGTGACAGCGTGAGACTCTTTAAAA2220               AAAGAAATTAAAAGAGTTGAGACAAACGTTTCCTACATTCTTTTCCATGTGTAAAATCAT2280               GAAAAAGCCTGTCACCGGACTTGCATTGGATGAGATGAGTCAGACCAAAACAGTGGCCAC2340               CCGTCTTCCTCCTGTGAGCCTAAGTGCAGCCGTGCTAGCTGCGCACCGTGGCTAAGGATG2400               ACGTCTGTGTTCCTGTCCATCACTGATGCTGCTGGCTACTGCATGTGCCACACCTGTCTG2460               TTCGCCATTCCTAACATTCTGTTTCATTCTTCCTCGGGAGATATTTCAAACATTTGGTCT2520               TTTCTTTTAACACTGAGGGTAGGCCCTTAGGAAATTTATTTAGGAAAGTCTGAACACGTT2580               ATCACTTGGTTTTCTGGAAAGTAGCTTACCCTAGAAAACAGCTGCAAATGCCAGAAAGAT2640               GATCCCTAAAAATGTTGAGGGACTTCTGTTCATTCATCCCGAGAACATTGGCTTCCACAT2700               CACAGTATCTACCCTTACATGGTTTAGGATTAAAGCCAGGCAATCTTTTACTATGAAAAA2760               AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA2784                                                   (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:2:                                               (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 557 amino acids                                                    (B) TYPE: amino acid                                                           (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: protein                                                    (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:2:                                        MetMetValValLeuLeuGlyAlaThrThrLeuValLeuValAlaVal                               151015                                                                         GlyProTrpValLeuSerAlaAlaAlaGlyGlyLysAsnLeuLysSer                               202530                                                                         ProGlnLysValGluValAspIleIleAspAspAsnPheIleLeuArg                               354045                                                                         TrpAsnArgSerAspGluSerValGlyAsnValThrPheSerPheAsp                               505560                                                                         TyrGlnLysThrGlyMetAspAsnTrpIleLysLeuSerGlyCysGln                               65707580                                                                       AsnIleThrSerThrLysCysAsnPheSerSerLeuLysLeuAsnVal                               859095                                                                         TyrGluGluIleLysLeuArgIleArgAlaGluLysGluAsnThrSer                               100105110                                                                      SerTrpTyrGluValAspSerPheThrProPheArgLysAlaGlnIle                               115120125                                                                      GlyProProGluValHisLeuGluAlaGluAspLysAlaIleValIle                               130135140                                                                      HisIleSerProGlyThrLysAspSerValMetTrpAlaLeuAspGly                               145150155160                                                                   LeuSerPheThrTyrSerLeuLeuIleTrpLysAsnSerSerGlyVal                               165170175                                                                      GluGluArgIleGluAsnIleTyrSerArgHisLysIleTyrLysLeu                               180185190                                                                      SerProGluThrThrTyrCysLeuLysValLysAlaAlaLeuLeuThr                               195200205                                                                      SerTrpLysIleGlyValTyrSerProValHisCysIleLysThrThr                               210215220                                                                      ValGluAsnGluLeuProProProGluAsnIleGluValSerValGln                               225230235240                                                                   AsnGlnAsnTyrValLeuLysTrpAspTyrThrTyrAlaAsnMetThr                               245250255                                                                      PheGlnValGlnTrpLeuHisAlaPheLeuLysArgAsnProGlyAsn                               260265270                                                                      HisLeuTyrLysTrpLysGlnIleProAspCysGluAsnValLysThr                               275280285                                                                      ThrGlnCysValPheProGlnAsnValPheGlnLysGlyIleTyrLeu                               290295300                                                                      LeuArgValGlnAlaSerAspGlyAsnAsnThrSerPheTrpSerGlu                               305310315320                                                                   GluIleLysPheAspThrGluIleGlnAlaPheLeuLeuProProVal                               325330335                                                                      PheAsnIleArgSerLeuSerAspSerPheHisIleTyrIleGlyAla                               340345350                                                                      ProLysGlnSerGlyAsnThrProValIleGlnAspTyrProLeuIle                               355360365                                                                      TyrGluIleIlePheTrpGluAsnThrSerAsnAlaGluArgLysIle                               370375380                                                                      IleGluLysLysThrAspValThrValProAsnLeuLysProLeuThr                               385390395400                                                                   ValTyrCysValLysAlaArgAlaHisThrMetAspGluLysLeuAsn                               405410415                                                                      LysSerSerValPheSerAspAlaValCysGluLysThrLysProGly                               420425430                                                                      AsnThrSerLysIleTrpLeuIleValGlyIleCysIleAlaLeuPhe                               435440445                                                                      AlaLeuProPheValIleTyrAlaAlaLysValPheLeuArgCysIle                               450455460                                                                      AsnTyrValPhePheProSerLeuLysProSerSerSerIleAspGlu                               465470475480                                                                   TyrPheSerGluGlnProLeuLysAsnLeuLeuLeuSerThrSerGlu                               485490495                                                                      GluGlnIleGluLysCysPheIleIleGluAsnIleSerThrIleAla                               500505510                                                                      ThrValGluGluThrAsnGlnThrAspGluAspHisLysLysTyrSer                               515520525                                                                      SerGlnThrSerGlnAspSerGlyAsnTyrSerAsnGluAspGluSer                               530535540                                                                      GluSerLysThrSerGluGluLeuGlnGlnAspPheVal                                        545550555                                                                      __________________________________________________________________________ 

We claim:
 1. An isolated DNA molecule encoding a receptor for human alpha interferon comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2 or encoding an allelic variant which does not differ from SEQ ID NO:2 by more than 3 amino acids.
 2. A DNA molecule according to claim 1, wherein the DNA molecule has the sequence of SEQ ID NO:
 1. 3. A non-human host cell transformed with an expression vector containing the DNA molecule of claim
 1. 4. A host cell according to claim 3, wherein said cell is a mammalian cell.
 5. A host cell according to claim 4, wherein said cell is a mouse cell.
 6. A vector containing the DNA molecule of claim
 1. 7. A process for the production of cells expressing the human alpha interferon receptor comprising transforming host cells with an expression vector containing the DNA molecule of claim
 1. 8. A process for the production of a human alpha interferon receptor comprisingtransforming host cells with an expression vector containing the DNA molecule of claim 1, cultivating the transformed cells under conditions allowing expression of said receptor and recovering said receptor.
 9. An isolated DNA molecule having the sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:1 wherein the cytosine at position 569 is replaced by a guanine, and a TGA triplet is inserted between the adenine situated at position 1514 and the thymine situated at position
 1515. 